The Advantages of Letting Your Kids Take the Bus to School

Riding the school bus is the safest mode of transportation for students going to and coming from the school. Studies show that students are apparently 50 times more likely to arrive in school alive by taking the bus rather than driving by themselves or with their peers. They are also 20 times more likely to arrive safely by taking the bus rather than riding in a private vehicle driven by their parents.

According to the American School Bus Council, school buses use a passive restraint. Like eggs in an egg carton, the only thing a child has to do while in the bus is sit. The seat backs are raised and reinforced to protect against impact in case of a collision.

Taking the bus also has economic advantages for the family in the long run. What some parents may not realize is how much money they spend on fuel by driving their kids to and from the school. If they save this money, they can actually use it for other things.

Letting your children ride the bus also inadvertently helps the school, the drivers, and other families. If not enough children ride the bus, it is a waste of the school’s resources. It also threatens the livelihood of the drivers and it can cause problems for families who can only afford school buses. Districts can eliminate school buses if there is not enough demand for it.

Taking the bus teaches your children the value of time and being organized. They know exactly when the school bus arrives to pick them up and that they need to be prepared ahead for this. It also teaches them to interact with other children that are taking the bus.

In the long run, riding a school bus also helps the environment. While the bus still causes pollution, it is very minimal to the accumulated pollution that individual cars emit by driving their children to and from the school.